Page 70 of The Promise of Tomorrow
‘You needed a good friend. I didn’t want to ruin the solid relationship we’ve got.’ He sighed. ‘Did that anyway though, barging in, telling you you’d got OCD instead of gently suggesting it.’
‘Nicole was so stylish, so chic, so… together…’
His brow furrowed. ‘Elena. Everyone’s got broken bits inside. You know that, right, from that night in the pub with our colleagues, them telling us how they felt like broken biscuits? It’s the basis of our whole product campaign. Anyway, I’ve exchanged the occasional text with Nicole and she’s leaving her job. The pressure to look good, to find new models, she’s been finding it too much.’
‘She has?’
‘I was only pretending to be interested in her, at the cemetery, embarrassed that I’d almost kissed you, thinking you’d be horrified at the thought of you and me together.’
Elena’s eyes widened. ‘That’s the very reasonIencouraged you to go for it with her.’
‘Huh?’
‘I almost kissed you then!’ Her voice sounded full. She’d never said these words to anyone before.Here goes. ‘I love you too, Rory Bunker.’
He frowned. ‘Now who’s joking? Or had too much Christmas punch? Come on, Elena. Don’t take the piss.’
Elena got up and crouched down by the bean bag. She slid her arms around his neck. ‘I’m not. I swear on Brandy’s and Snap’s lives. I worked it out in Paris too.’
Neither of them moved. Neither of them blinked.
‘In Paris? You too?’ he said eventually. ‘Wow, what a clichéd pair of saps we are.’ His pupils dilated as he moved closer. He ran a hand through her hair, letting his fingers fall to the side of her cheek, holding her face tenderly. Her skin sparked with his touch. ‘I’ve wanted to do that for such a very long time. Tell me I’m not dreaming.’
‘You’re not,’ she said, oh so tenderly.
‘Your beauty struck me the very first day we met, Elena. Not just because of your cute nose that twitches before you laugh, or those ocean eyes that ripple with every emotion… It’s the way you were with people in the office. Fair. Faithful. Firm. Funny. I watched you spar with Gary and take a difficult meeting with Derek. You’re all the f words, Elena.’
‘All of them?’ she asked, and her nose twitched.
He tucked a blonde lock of hair behind her ear.
‘My attraction to you is much more trivial, I’m afraid,’ she whispered. ‘You had me at wearing my silk dressing gown.’ Shenudged closer, their lips almost touching. ‘But most important of all… Jacques was right. You are like home to me, as well. I can utterly be myself when you’re around. I’m able to take off the mask.’ Her breathing quickened and her lips touched his, gently at first. But when his mouth responded with a passion that also blazed inside her chest, Elena became part of a story even more exciting than the ones on the shelves in her little oasis.
46
ELENA
Eventually, they surfaced. It was almost one o’clock in the morning. Their guests might have left! Elena straightened her dress. Rory did up his jacket. They beamed and she took his hand.
‘Let’s hurry. I’m the worst hostess in the world.’
‘Not sure I’d agree. You’ve been most accommodating,’ he said.
Suppressing a laugh, she led him downstairs. They were welcomed by the lingering smell of pizza. The music was off. They went into the lounge and everyone looked up. The guests were spread across the sofa, two armchairs, the floor, and chairs brought in from the dining room.
‘Well, well, well,’ said Gary, looking at Tahoor. The two men nodded at each other smugly.
‘I was just showing Rory my… book collection,’ Elena said.
‘Is that the same as Gary’s collection of etchings?’ asked Diego.
Everyone in the room chuckled.
‘I hope you don’t come to work with your jacket buttons done up in the wrong order, like that,’ said Derek.
Rory looked down and blushed.
‘Guys, guys, my parents and Rory’s dad are here,’ said Elena, blushing.
